Cover with prehensile button

ABSTRACT

A lid with a holding knob and coupling elements designed to secure the holding knob to the lid. The coupling elements comprise at least one lug and a notch having an entry portion for the lug to pass through the notch, as well as a retaining portion for retaining the lug in the slot. The lug is mobile between the entry portion and the retaining portion, when the knob and lid are moved relative to one another.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is the 35 USC 371 national stage of international applicationPCT/FR96/01934 filed on Dec. 16, 1996, which designated the UnitedStates of America.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a lid and a knob for holding it, such asa lid for cooking utensils.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There already exist lids with a manipulator knob secured to the lid by ascrew, some including an orifice for steam to escape.

These holding knobs have the disadvantage of increasing the overall sizeof the lid and making it difficult to stack them up.

Also, the screw generally screws into the center of the holding knob andthe steam outlet orifice is at the periphery of the knob. It is thennecessary to rotate the knob when screwing it to the lid to align theorifice in the knob with the steam vent in the lid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above constraintsand to propose a lid and a knob for holding it which are very muchsimpler to assemble and use.

The lid to which the invention is directed includes a knob for holdingit and coupling means for fixing the knob to the lid.

In accordance with the invention, the connecting means include a lug anda notch having a portion in which the lug enters the notch and a portionin which the lug is retained in the notch, the lug moving between theentry portion and the retaining portion when the lid and the knob aremoved relative to each other.

The assembly can therefore be assembled or disassembled merely byrelative movement of the knob and the lid. This provides a removableholding knob, which has many advantages: cleaning of the lid issimplified and space is saved in storage or transportation, inparticular by stacking the lids.

The lid and the knob form a modular assembly, a single holding knobbeing usable with different lids, regardless of the material or shape ofthe lids.

In a preferred version of the invention the lid has a recessed part andthe knob has a portion whose shape is substantially complementary to therecessed part and is adapted to move over the recessed part between theentry portion and the retaining portion of the notch.

The complementary shapes of the lid and the knob therefore guide theknob when it is fitted to the lid.

This facilitates entry of the lug into the notch and its retentiontherein.

The lug preferably moves between the entry portion and the retainingportion of the notch when the holding knob is rotated about a centralaxis of the knob.

This bayonet-type rotational fitting of the knob to the lid produces afixing that, although it is easily demountable, is very reliable whenthe user is manipulating the lid by means of the holding knob.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a holding knob forlids is characterized in that it includes a lug adapted to engage in anotch on the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer inthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limitingexample:

FIG. 1A is a view in section of a first embodiment of a lid with aholding knob in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 1B is a bottom view of the holding knob from FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a top view of the lid from FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a view in section and partly in elevation of a secondembodiment of a lid with a holding knob in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the holding knob from FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the lid from FIG. 2A; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one component of a variant of theFIG. 2A embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of the invention will be described first withreference to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C.

A lid 1 in accordance with the invention includes a holding knob 10removably fixed by means of coupling means comprising at least one lug11 and one notch 21 in which the lug is engaged.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the notch 21 has an entry portion 21 a throughwhich the lug 11 can be inserted and a portion 21 b for retaining thelug 11 in the notch 21.

The lug 11 has an enlarged end 11 a that can pass through the orifice 21a of the notch and a body 11 b of smaller section than the end 11 a thatcan move in the retaining portion 21 b of the notch. The enlarged end 11a of the lug cannot pass through the retaining portion 21 b of thenotch, so retaining the holding knob on the lid.

In this example, the fixing means comprise two identical lugs 11 and twocorresponding notches 21.

Fixing is effected by rotating the knob 10 relative to the lid 1, thenotches 21 being on a common circle whose center is the center of thelid 1.

When the holding knob 10 is rotated about its central axis 10 a, thelugs 11 engage with the notches 21 and the holding knob is thereforepositioned at the center of the lid, offering a better distribution ofthe weight of the lid.

The lid 1 has a recessed part 24 and the knob 10 has a portion 14 whoseshape is substantially complementary to the recessed part 24 and whichis adapted to move over the recessed part 24 between the entry portion21 a and the retaining portion 21 b of the notch 21.

The recessed part 24 is pressed into the top surface of the lid 1 and isfrustoconical in shape, the knob 10 having a frustoconical projection 14of complementary shape to the recessed part 24.

The lid 1 further includes a shoulder 25 between the frustoconicalrecessed part 24 and the remainder of the lid 1 and the holding knob 10has a flat part 15 around the complementary frustoconical portion 14,the coupling means 11, 21 being attached to the plane annular portion 15and the shoulder 25.

The complementary frustoconical shapes of the knob 10 and the lid 1guide rotation of the knob when it is fitted to the lid.

The lugs are on the plane annular part 15 of the holding knob 10.

The notches are in the shoulder 25 on the lid so that when the holdingknob 10 is removed nothing projects from the lid 1.

The holding knob 10 preferably further comprises a steam vent 12 as itscenter and the lid 1 preferably comprises a corresponding centralopening 22 through which steam from cooking escapes.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the couplingmeans are at the center of the holding knob 10 and the lid 1. Componentsidentical to those in the first embodiment are identified by the samereference numerals in the figures and are not described again.

The knob 10 has two lugs 11 extending radially relative to its centralvertical axis 10 a.

There are two lugs 11 which therefore form projections on the end 16 ofthe knob 11, preferably opposite each other.

The lid 1 comprises a substantially circular opening forming a notch,each entry portion 21 a for inserting a lug 11 of the knob 10 consistingof an angular sector and each retaining portion 21 b consisting ofanother angular sector having a smaller radius than the entry portion 21a.

Each lug 11 extends from the axis 10 a of the knob 10 a distancesubstantially equal to the radius of the angular sector formed by anentry portion 21 a and greater than the radius of the angular sectorformed by a retaining portion 21 b.

In this embodiment the notch has two opposite entry portions 21 aadjacent to two opposite retaining portions 21 b.

When the knob 10 is fixed to the lid, the lugs 11 are passed through theentry portion 21 a and are then turned under the lid 1, level with theretaining portions 21 b of the notch 21.

In this embodiment the holding knob 10 can equally be fixed under thelid 1 by inserting the lugs 11 into the entry portions 21 a and thenturning the lugs 11 on the lid 1 over the retaining portions 21 b of thenotch 21.

The center of the notch 21 in the lid comprises an opening 22 allowingcooking steam to escape and corresponding to a passage 12 inside theknob 10 and discharging under the lid at its end 16 and having anorifice vent 17 on the lid through which steam can escape.

As shown in FIG. 3, the notch 21 can be formed in an insert 30. Theinsert 30 is fixed in an opening 22 in the lid 1 and is thicker than thelid.

The circular insert 30 can be fixed to the edges of the central opening12 in the lid, by clipping it by means of elastic lugs 33, by gluing itor by mechanically crimping it.

It avoids the presence of a sharp edge because the notch 21 is formeddirectly in the lid and eliminates the constraint of the thickness ofthe lid.

The insert has two notches 21 as previously described for fixing theknob. It can be made of metal or a plastics material.

The insert 30 can also have two other notches 34, similar to the notches21 and enabling the holding knob to be fixed to the underside of the lid1, in particular for storing the lid.

Each notch 34 can have an entry portion common to an entry portion 21 aof the notches 21 and a retaining portion disposed symmetrically to theretaining portion 21 b relative to the entry portion 21 a. The retainingportions of the notches 21 and 34 are reversed relative to each otherwithin the thickness of the insert 30, i.e. the retaining portion 21 bof the notch 21 is in the lower part of the insert 30 and the retainingportion of the notch 34 is in the upper part of the insert 30 when thelatter is fixed to the lid 1.

When the knob 10 is fixed to the lid 1, the lug 11 is passed through theentry portion 21 a from the upper part toward the lower part of theinsert 30 and is then pivoted under the retaining portion 21 b. When theknob 10 is fixed to the underside of the lid, the lug 11 is passedthrough the entry portion 21 a from the lower part toward the upper partof the insert 30 and is then pivoted over the retaining portion of thenotch 34.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the above examples withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

For example, the knob could be fixed to the lid by moving it intranslation in straight notches in the lid.

By adding a non-return member to one lug of the knob, the knob can bepermanently fitted when it is locked to the lid for the first time,after passing beyond a predetermined angular threshold.

The knob 10 could equally well be in the shape of a hoop or a handgrip.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lid for cooking utensils, comprising: a holdingknob; coupling means for fixing the knob to the lid; said coupling meansincluding a notch on the lid and a lug on the holding knob, said notchhaving an entry portion for receiving the lug into the notch and aretaining portion for retaining the lug in the notch; the lug beingstructured and arranged to move between the entry portion and theretaining portion of the notch when the knob and the lid are movedrelative to each other; said coupling means are positioned at the centerof the holding knob and the lid; said notch being formed in an insert,and the insert being fixed into an opening in the lid and being thickerthan the lid; the lid having a recessed part housing the coupling means,and a shoulder between the recessed part and the remainder of the lid;the holding knob having a portion of substantially complementary shapeto said recessed part; said holding knob being adapted to be moved overthe recessed part between the entry portion and the retaining portion ofthe notch, such that when the holding knob is removed nothing projectsfrom the lid.
 2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the holding knobfurther comprises a plane annular part around said complementary shapeportion.
 3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the recessed part ispressed into a top surface of the lid.
 4. The lid according to claim 1,wherein the lug is mobile between the entry portion and the retainingportion of the notch when the holding knob rotates about a central axisof the knob.
 5. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the recessed partis frustoconical, and the knob has a frustoconical projection ofcomplementary shape through said recessed part.
 6. The lid according toclaim 1, wherein the insert has two first notches having retainingportions reversed within the thickness of the insert relative toretaining portions of two second notches, the first and second notcheshaving common entry portions, enabling the holding knob to be fixedeither to the upper side or to the underside of the lid.
 7. A lid forcooking utensils, comprising: a holding knob; coupling means for fixingthe knob to the lid; said coupling means including a notch and a lug,said notch having an entry portion for receiving the lug into the notchand a retaining portion for retaining the lug in the notch; the lugbeing structured and arranged to move between the entry portion and theretaining portion of the notch when the knob and the lid are movedrelative to each other; the lid having a recessed part and a shoulderbetween the recessed part and the remainder of the lid; the holding knobhaving a portion of substantially complementary shape to said recessedpart, and a plane annular part around said complementary shape portion;said coupling means being attached to the plane annular portion and theshoulder; said holding knob being adapted to be moved over the recessedpart between the entry portion and the retaining portion of the notch,such that when the holding knob is removed nothing projects from thelid.
 8. The lid according to claim 7, wherein the recessed part ispressed into a top surface of the lid.
 9. The lid according to claim 7,wherein the lug is mobile between the entry portion and the retainingportion of the notch when the holding knob rotates about a central axisof the knob.
 10. The lid according to claim 7, wherein the recessed partis frustoconical, and the knob has a frustoconical projection ofcomplementary shape through said recessed part.
 11. The lid according toclaim 7, wherein the lug is on the holding knob, and the notch is on thelid.
 12. The lid according to claim 11, wherein the notch is formed inan insert, and the insert is fixed into an opening in the lid and isthicker than the lid.
 13. The lid according to claim 12, wherein theinsert has two first notches having retaining portions reversed withinthe thickness of the insert relative to retaining portions of two secondnotches, the first and second notches having common entry portions,enabling the holding knob to be fixed either to the upper side or to theunderside of the lid.